Prevalence of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Associations With Malocclusion in Children

Study Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing and its association with malocclusion among children in Recife, Brazil.

Methods: This study included 390 children aged seven to eight years. The data comprised the measurement of body mass, orthodontic examination, and parental information required by the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. The statistics tools used were Pearson's chi-square test and the Lemeshow test.

Results: Positively screened for SDB was found in 33.3% of the children, and the association with overjet was p = 0.007 (OR - 95% CI: 1,93). The association with anterior open bite was p = 0.008 (OR - 95% CI: 2,03), and the association with posterior crossbite was p = 0.001 (OR - 95% CI: 2,89). This report was unable to indicate an association between body mass index and sleep-disordered breathing. The multivariate logistic regression model revealed that the anterior open bite (p = 0.002/ OR - 95% CI: 2,34) and posterior crossbite (p = 0.014 / OR - 95% CI: 2,79) had an association with positively screened for SDB.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing was high and highly associated with malocclusion. Since posterior crossbite and anterior open bite were associated with positively screened for SDB, early diagnosis and intervention may prevent and minimize adverse effects of SDB on individuals lives.